Audio-visual teaching system

Abstract

A system for selectively supplying information including video information to operators, such as students, at plural stations, the information requiring responses, or answers, and the correctness of each operator's answer being displayed. A television monitor is provided at each station to display video picture information. In reply to a question, which may be displayed or audibly reproduced, a responding device is selectively operated by the operator. The video picture information displayed at each television monitor is stored in a main storage device in the form of video picture signals representing predetermined still video information. Selected ones of the video picture signals are supplied from the main storage device as a function of each response, or answer, by the operators. A buffer store having a plurality of video picture signals storage channels corresponding to the number of stations is coupled to the main storage device to receive the selected video picture signals and to transmit these received signals to particular ones of the stations. A control unit is coupled to the main storage device and to the buffer store for controlling the transmission of selected video picture signals from the main storage device to a particular video picture signal storage channel and for controlling the transmission of video picture signals from the storage channels in the buffer store to selected ones of the stations. In one embodiment, a video display of the correctness of the operator's answer is provided. It is one feature of this system to transmit new video information to each monitor in accordance with the pace, or progress, of each operator.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for selectively supplying information requiring independent response to plural stations whereat operators provide said independent responses, said system returning further information to said stations as a function of each response, comprising: a television monitor at each station for displaying video picture information;   manually operable responding means at each said station for producing said response when operated by said operator;   main storage means for storing a plurality of addressable frames of video picture signal information, each frame representing predetermined still video information;   buffer storage means having a plurality of storage channels corresponding to the number of said stations, each storage channel having a storage capacity to store a frame of video picture signal information;   first switch means intercoupled between said main storage means and said buffer storage means and selectively operable for transferring an addressed frame of video picture signal information to a selected channel in said buffer storage means;   second switch means intercoupled between said buffer storage means and said plurality of stations and selectively operable for transmitting selected frames of video picture signal information from said storage channels in said buffer storage means to corresponding ones of said stations so as to display on the television monitors at said stations still video picture information represented by the respective transmitted frames; and   control means coupled to said main storage means and to said buffer storage means for controlling said main storage means in accordance with a produced response to address a selected frame of video picture signal information and to transmit the addressed frame to a particular storage channel in said buffer storage means as determined by the selective operation of said first switch means, and for controlling said buffer storage means to transmit the frames of video picture signal information stored in said respective storage channels to selected ones of said stations as determined by the selective operation of said second switch means.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein said buffer storage means comprises plural channel magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus for recording selected frames of video picture signal information in selected channels and for reproducing said recorded frames to display corresponding video picture information at particular stations. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 further comprising separate audio signal reproducing apparatus at each station for reproducing from a record medium pre-recorded audio information associated with the video picture information then being displayed at said station, the operation of each said audio signal reproducing apparatus being controlled by said control means, said audio signal reproducing apparatus transmitting to said control means a control signal representing the relative advance of said record medium in said audio signal reproducing apparatus to enable said control means to selectively control the relative advance of said record medium. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 3 wherein said audio signal reproducing apparatus comprises a magnetic tape reproducer and said record medium is magnetic tape; and wherein a video picture address signal is recorded on said magnetic tape in association with said recorded audio information, said magnetic tape reproducer transmitting to said control means the address of the particular frame of video picture signal information which is to be supplied by said main storage means to a selected storage channel of said buffer storage means for displaying the video picture information associated with said recorded audio information at said station. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1 wherein each said responding means comprises a light pen manually positionable by said operator at a location on the displayed video picture representative of said response; and means for transmitting to said control means an indication of said location of said light pen on said video picture. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 5 further comprising separate audio signal reproducing apparatus at each station for reproducing from a record medium pre-recorded audio information associated with the video picture then being displayed at said station, at least a portion of said audio information eliciting the positioning by said operator of said light pen on said video picture, said control means being coupled to each said audio signal reproducing apparatus for controlling the reproduction of audio information as a function of the particular location of said light pen on said video picture. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 6 wherein said record medium has a control signal recorded thereon following a portion of audio information for causing said control means to temporarily halt relative movement of said record medium while awaiting the selective positioning of said light pen by said operator; and further including record medium control means coupled to said control means for receiving a medium advance signal when said operator positions said light pen at a predetermined location as a response to thereby advance said record medium and for receiving a medium reverse signal when said operator positions said light pen at another location to thereby reverse said record medium. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 7 wherein said record medium comprises a magnetic tape having first and second tracks, and said audio signal reproducing apparatus comprises a tape reproducer for normally reproducing audio information recorded in said first track and for reproducing audio information recorded in said second track in the event that said tape is reversed because said operator positions said light pen at other than said predetermined location. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 8 wherein said first track includes information representing a question the answer to which is represented by the positioning of said light pen on said video picture; and said second track includes information representing additional explanatory material and a further question the answer to which is represented by the positioning of said light pen on said video picture, said second track information being reproduced in the event that said answer to said first track question is incorrect. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 7 further comprising character generator means coupled to each said televison monitor for producing a predetermined alphanumeric video display representing possible responses, said light pen being positionable at any location of said alphanumeric video display, but only a predetermined location being a correct response to thereby advance said record medium. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 1 wherein said main storage means comprises a main storage medium having individually addressable locations whereat said frames of video picture signal information are stored; and further including locations whereat predetermined signals characterizing a response are stored, said predetermined response characterizing signals being transmitted through said selectively operated first switch means to predetermined channels in said buffer storage means for further transmission through said selectively operated second switch means to a station depending upon whether the response by said operator at said station is a predetermined response. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 11 wherein said buffer storage means comprises a magnetic disc having a number of storage channels at least equal to the number of stations plus first and second response characterizing signal channels; signal recording means associated with each said channel to record thereon a frame of video picture signal information addressed from said main storage medium; and signal playback means associated with each said channel to selectively play back and transmit a frame of video picture signal information and a response characterizing signal to an associated station. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 12 further comprising means at each said station for addressing a location in said main storage medium from which a frame of video picture signal information is transmitted to a channel in said buffer storage means associated with said station, said addressing being a function of whether the preceding response by said operator at said station is said predetermined response. 
     
     
       14. An audio-visual instruction method, comprising the steps of: displaying one of a plurality of frames of still video pictures to one of plural students;   transmitting audible instructions from a record medium to said student, said instructions including material explanatory of said displayed picture and at least one question requiring a response by said student;   responding to said at least one question by selecting one of plural possible answers;   evaluating said answer to determine its correctness;   transmitting further audible instructions, including additional material explanatory of said displayed picture from said record medium to said student in the event that said answer is not correct; said further audible instructions including at least one question requiring a response by said student;   transmitting a new set of audible instructions from said record medium to said student in the event that said evaluated answer is correct, said new set of instructions including material explanatory of a new video picture;   reproducing an address pre-recorded on said record medium in association with said new set of audible instructions;   searching through said video store for a frame of video picture signal information identified by said address;   recording said addressed frame of video picture signal information in a particular channel of a buffer storage medium, said particular channel being associated with said one student; and   displaying the frame of video picture signal information recorded in said particular channel of said buffer storage medium.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of responding to said question comprises positioning a light pen at a selectable location in overlying relation to said displayed video picture; and generating an indication of said location representing a corresponding one answer. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of evaluating said answer comprises comparing said light pen location indication with an indication of a predetermined location corresponding to the correct answer. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 14 wherein said buffer storage medium comprises a plural channel storage medium having a number of channels equal to the number of students plus at least two additional channels to store a frame of video picture signal information indicative of a correct answer and a frame of video picture signal information indicative of an incorrect answer; and further comprising the steps of displaying a selected one of the frames of video picture signal information recorded in said two additional channels depending upon the evaluation of the correctness of said answer by said student in response to a question. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting audible instructions from a record medium to a student comprises advancing a magnetic tape to reproduce pre-recorded information from a first portion thereof and stopping said tape after said first portion has been reproduced to permit said student to respond thereto; and said step of transmitting further audible instructions comprises advancing said magnetic tape to reproduce pre-recorded further information from another portion thereof if said answer is not correct and stopping said tape after said other portion has been reproduced to permit said student to respond thereto. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18 wherein said other portion of magnetic tape is recorded on a track different from the track on which said first portion is recorded; and wherein said step of advancing said magnetic tape to reproduce said further information comprises reversing said magnetic tape by an amount equal to said other portion, and then advancing said magnetic tape by said amount while reproducing said further information from said other portion on said different track.